Introductions day four - need help!!

[jacqueline]

here's the background: i had 2 males, 5 1/2 months old in a 2X5 C&C. sunday afternoon i brought home a rescue: 5 year old male with impaction (chronic?) and missing 2 toes. introductions were not great, but they are now all in a new put together 2X6.
i understand that my original 2 are going through their adolescence, and that's tough enough. there's still a good amount of rumblestrutting, teeth chattering and LOTS of chasing. the quieter youngster is hiding alot. :sorry: i'm weighing them all, to make sure everyone's eating.
there's been no bloodshed. the thing most disturbing to ME is the amount of chasing and squealing. even my original 2 are at each other. the pecking order is clear to me - the new pig has established his dominance, and the shyer boy is low man. the original two never had any issues getting along, they were a bonded pair when i got them. i know for them to start squabbling is to be expected with the introduction of a new pig. i also know i's "only" been 4 days - it's all still new to everyone
so, i'm weighing them, but i am worried that the older pig is blocking access to veggies, and hay. i have 2 hay racks, 3 food dishes and 3 water bottles. if it looks like anyone's loosing weight, what should i do? i'm not sure i have the space for a totally separate cage for the older pig. can i separate them just for their veggies, to make sure at least the original guys are getting their veggies? HHEELLPP!! :weepy:

 

[Inle_Rabbit]

It sounds like you are doing everything right and this is just normal behavior. It can take a week or two for things to calm down so keep doing what you are doing (watching, weighing and waiting) things still may calm down yet.

 

[SurfingPigs]

Ditto, things sound perfectly normal and fine. Watch them eat, and if one is preventing others from eating veggies, either evenly spread the veggies in separate parts of the cage, or give the bossy pig some lap time at the beginning of veggie time to let the others get their share first.

 

[thevultureslove]

I had the same problem as you when i introduced my two young pigs to my older pig. I had a very large c&c, i think 3x6, three of everything and two hay racks. Still the chasing occured and squealing. It took 3 weeks before the older one got used to one of them. Do they all have individual hidey huts? I heard someone once say that pigs do better in even numbers, but i havent had any aside from in odd numbers, so i cant really verify that

 

[jacqueline]

thanks for all the replies. as for the hideys, there's a bunk bed, a fleece forest, a snuggle sac, and a tent/bungaloo thing with 3 separated places for pigs to hide. please keep your finger crossed!

 

[thevultureslove]

Just out of curiousity, are they fighting over any particular huts? I know most of my guineas fights were started over a puzzle hut, which was different than the other two pigaloos. So I took out the puzzle hut and put in another pigaloo and the fights subsided a bit.

 

[Inle_Rabbit]

I had some fights between two of mine over a pigloo I added a pigloo and the problems just stopped.

 

[jacqueline]

good question, but no, they're not fighting over any specific hidey. there's not as much nose to nose fighting as there is chasing and squealing. and the odd thing is that the worst of it doesn't involve the older, newest pig, but is between the 2 pigs i started with. dreyfus is chasing kramer unmercifully. i've been giving kramer extra lap time and feeding him veggies on my lap. he's spending alot of time hiding in corners and just sitting very still, trying not to get noticed. he looks pretty worried/scared. i feel bad, but know they have to work it out themselves. i'm just monitoring their weight and eating, and making sure no one gets injured. sigh. :guilty: thanks or thinking about this with me and for your suggestions

 

[thevultureslove]

At this point there is nothing more you can do, since you're doing everything in your power to maintain things. I hope things work out.

 

[jacqueline]

so, i came home and weighed the boys and my 2 youngster both lost weight, while the new pig gained. the littlest pig lost 12 grams!! :weepy: so i'm took the suggestion made here (thanks) and have the older pig on the sofa next to me for veggie time, leaving the 2 youngsters to have freshened pellets and veggies unthreatened. everyone seems happy with this. all pigs are munching away. so, is this a temporary solution? eventually, will i be able to leave them together. is this a good idea? i read here that if you separate them, and then put them back together again it's introductions all over again! :eye-poppi really? any other advise suggestion would be very much welcomes. i'd like to see this work out.

 

[SurfingPigs]

12 grams is less than half an ounce.... I wouldn't be overly concerned about that. I definitely would not separate or even be thinking of it. If weight loss continues at that rate, that is one thing, but if you aren't weighing at the same time every day, then fluctuations of 12 grams are not rare. My pigs probably put on more than that after each feeding.

Edit: And you are correct, if you separate they will have to go through the introductions and dominance establishment all over again. Very stressful to them.

 

[thevultureslove]

Don't separate them unless the weight loss starts to increase at a rate or if one gets really hurt. Leaving the younger ones alone while having the older one on the sofa should be fine for now. This phase is hopefully just temporary (and normally it is). Piggie introductions are always stressful, but hopefully they will work through it, just give them some more time

 

[jacqueline]

no, i won't separate them again. i meant keeping the older pig on the sofa with me during veggie time. and, coincidence or not, things are quite peaceful now. all pigs got to eat their fill, there was no squealing or fighting over food, and 2 hours later everyone is resting quietly and actually in close proximity. today's better than yesterday maybe tomorrow will be better too! thanks!!

 

[thevultureslove]

Yay! I'm glad things are working out. Unfortunately introductions are very unpredictable, but I'm glad things are working out for you.